Disappearing with the forest
Survival is not easy for an endangered species of gibbons when its habitat is being destroyed, says Kashmira Kakati
Deserted Delicacies
Abundant, nutritious and tasty. Yet, traditional desert food is gradually losing out to commercially grown crops
Unhearthed
Human encroachment has created imbalance in the avian ecology. Better management practices are needed for the conservation of species diversity
Rat chronicles
The tiny rodents that most people link only to pestilence and crop destruction have fascinated Ishwar Prakash -- one of that rare breed: a rat …
The lotus effect
Water doesn't stick to lotus leaves. Nature has given the plant a self-cleaning mechanism. Crack the science of it, and you have the formula for …
Disappearing Act
Only special breeding programmes and creation of corridors can save the lion-tailed macaque from extinction
Traditional wisdom
Researchers in Gujarat use rural expertise to predict weather when modern methods fail to make accurate forecast
Blood on the beach
Fisherfolk on the coast of Saurashtra kill whale sharks to make a living. If this is replaced by an ecotourism scheme the people and the fish …
Hornbills in peril
Hornbills, also known as avian farmers for their unique role in disseminating seeds and regenerating forest trees, are threatened by changing …
Wings Of Change
Migratory birds stage a comeback after a long hiatus as Kashmir wetlands get a fresh lease of life
The butterfly effect
As India continues to lose its rich butterfly diversity at an alarming rate, a handful of individuals work towards creating newer habitats
Monkey business
Coping with the nuisanceof urban monkeys may be beyond human patience. But shooting or declaring them pests will not serve the problem. Only a …
Bitten by the betel
Paan is the delicacy among all communities in India. Its cultivation and propagation will serve to strengthen not just the various rituals …
Chased off
Pockets of salt manufacturing uits and an army firing range within the Wild Ass Sanctuary i Gujarat are scaring the animals away
Left to die
The double-humped Yarkandi camels in Ladakh are on the route to extinction after the closure of the 'silk route'
Struggle for existence
Large-scale habitat loss and massive encroachment of the forestland have escalated the instances of wildlife-human conflict in recent times
Killing them softly
Dolphins, the most playful and beguiling mammals of water, are on the verge of extinction. Awareness programmes will go a long way in preserving …
Coconut capital
Toddy tappers in Kerala fought off social stigma and repression only to fight new demons like the government's excise policy
Outstanding grain
The aromatic enigma makes basmati a clear winner among grains. The lack of knowledge of what traditional basmati is and an inability to take …
Flight into danger
While cranes are regularly hunted in parts of Pakistan, villagers in Rajasthan are doing their best to protect these endangered species
Toda traditions in peril
Can this tribal community in the Nilgiris survive the concrete trappings of civilisation? Tarun Chhabra on the eco-friendly Todas
Forest fires - a trailblazer
Controlled burning of woodlands can be an effective tool for enriching the land and ecology. Dipanjan Ghosh looks at the possibilities
Drying wetlands
Ladakh's high altitude wetlands are under severe stress from the livestock population as well as tourist influx
Paradise under fire
The beautiful Valley of Flowers, known for its flower diversity and fecundity, is caught in a strange controversy over ban on grazing
Paradise in peril
Galpagos, an archipelago straddling the equator 1,000 km west of Ecuador, is probably the world's best-known biodiversity zone. But alien species …